Piano.



No. 654,7I5. Patented .luly 3l, |900.

. J. F. CNOVER.

PIANO.

- (Application mea sape. 28, 189s.)

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet I.

THE Noam: Ps'rfzns co. PHOTO-uwe.. wAsmNsrcN D c Patented lul-y3l, |900.J. F. CUNDVER.

PIANO.

(Application led Sept; 28, 189B.)

No. A654.7!5.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2. n

(No Model.)

Y? y Eff) No. 654,715. Patenta my 31, i900. J. F, CON-OVER. PIANO.

` (Application filed Sept. 28, 1898.) (No mnelf; s sham-sheet '3.

iwi

TH: Nomus Pneus co.. PgormLnmo., WASHINGTON. n. c.

NiTn STATES .PATENT Ormes.

JAMES F. CONOVER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PIANd.

SPECIFICATION fouling part if Letters Patent No. 654,715, ated July s1,1900. Appunti@tieasepteitems,189s. startnummer?. ditmaal.)

To @ZZ 'whom it may concern,.- p

Be it known that I, JAMES F. CoNo'vER, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Chiments in the constructionof the strain-sup-- porting parts of a piano and also to the means ofadjusting and securing the interior parts of the piano within the case.The pianostrings when under tension impose a great strain upon theirfastenings and also upon the means for supporting the parts to which thestrings are secured. In the earlier forms of piano construction theframe or strain supporting member was made of wood. In the evolution ofthe instrument an iron string plate or frame was adapted, secured uponthe wooden frame, and by this means it became possible to increase thetension of the strings, and thereby enlarge the tone. Thus an iron plateor frame is used, backed and reinforced by heavy beams of wood,constituting the wooden frame. This wooden frame is securely glued andfastened permanently and firmly to the necessarily-heavy end pieces ofthe case, these two end pieces unitedly assisting in supporting thestring-plate and resisting the increased strain. vThis means ofsupporting the string plate or frame has not proved satisfactory, owingto the unequal eX- pansion and contraction of the wood and iron undervarying temperatures. This construction also renders it necessary tosecure the internal parts within the interior of la nished case, andthus the work of action-finishing, action regulation and timing can onlybe done after the long and elaborate process of nishing the case hasbeen completed. It also renders any change or substitution of casesimpracticable.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a metalsupporting-frame of such a construction as to withstand that greatstrain of the strings tending to buckle or twist the frame, which shallhold the wrest-pin or tunin g-pin block from distortion under the strainof the strings and which shall also afford a solid foundation for thesounding-board and inclose both the sounding-board and tuningpin block,thereby shielding them from injury, and accomplish these ends withoutemploying the heavy wooden supporting or backing frame hitherto used. Myinvention in this connection consists in a double or duplex string-frameof a construction hereinafter described, between the two parts ormembers of which the sounding-board is positioned and secured.

i Y My invention has a further object in view to provide means wherebymy improved duplex frame, with strings attached, containing and holdingthe sounding-board and tuningpin block, may be connected to and with thekey-bed to provide a structure capable of support entirely independentof the case, whereby the work of action iinishing,regulating,and

tuning may progress simultaneously with the work of finishing the case,thereby effecting a v -described, reference being now had to theaccompanying drawings, in which-- Figure lis a front elevation of myimproved string-frame with the sounding-board and wrest-plank ortuning-block adjusted in position between the two parts of said frame.Fig. 2 is a top edge view of the front plate of the string-frame, whichfront plate carries the strings. Fig. 3 is a perspective View of theback plate of the string-frame. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view on theline l l of Fig. 3, partly broken away. Fig. 5,v is a side elevation ofthe duplex string-frame, the supporting-legs being shown by'dottedlines. Fig. 6 is a vertical sectionalview on the line 2 2 of Fig. l,showing the manner of securing the two parts of the duplex. frametogether, with the sounding-'board between them, and also the manner ofholding the wrest-plank IOO or tuning-pin block in position. Fig. 7 is aplan View in detail, showing the construction of the key-bed. Fig. 8 isa detailed section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 5. Fig. t) is a detailedsectional view on the line l 4 of Fig. 7.

I will iirst describe the construction of the two parts of the duplexiron string-frame and then point out the way in which they are heldtogether, and also the means for holding the sounding-Aboard andtuning-pin block in position.

The front plate or member of the stringframe A is designated at B, Figs.l and f3, and comprises what may be termed the body or main portion B2and the downward extension B3, which latter projects below the key-bedwhen adjusted in position thereon. This front plate isl eut away at itsextreme upper portion to provide means of access to the wrest-plank ortuning-pin block D from in front of the string-frame A. The tuningpinbleek is secured in a nia-nner about to be described.

In Fig. 3 the back plate E is shown having the outline and shape of thefront plate A and comprising the body portion E2 and the extension EB.The front plate B has a supporting-flange l), extended from its rearside, Figs. 2 and (S, and the back plate E has a supporting-flange t7,extended transversely along its front surface. This back plate also hasa marginal flange e about its extension E3. The two plates B and E aresecured together, with the sounding-board G between them, by means ofboltsff, Fig. 6, the sounding-board having an outline similar te that ofthe plates and fastened to the back plate E by means of screws g, Fig.8, penetrating 'the lining lo of the sounding-board. rlhe wrestplank ortuning-pin bleek D is held in place between the two plates by means ofthe supporting-flange l) on the front plate B and the transverse flanged on the back plate E, Figs. 5 and G. The marginal flange e on the backplate E, together with the lugs 7.; 7e, serves to keep the two platesthe required distance apart and prevents buckling or twisting, and asthe flange c and lugs 7.'. are wider than both the flange Z) and theflange d the latter do not meet together when the bolts j are adjusted,and therefore the tuning-pin block D is firmly compressed between theplates and held upon said flanges bythe bolts. As the front plate B isopen at its upper portion, Fig. l, access may be had tothe tuningpins jof the strings ll from the front of the string-frame A.. The key-bed Jis cut out, as shown in Fig. 7, and it is screwed to the duplexstring-frame A by means of bolts on m, which clamp the key-bed at thefront to the rim n and lugs p 79 of the front plate B, and to a flange gon the bach of the baclr plate E, Figs. 6 and Q. Thus the flange e andthe lugs /t' k, bearing upon the front plate, when the front and backplates are bolted together serve to stiften and reinforce thestring-frame and render it impossible to buckle or twist the frame underthe strain of the strings. By this means the heavy wooden backing frameis dispensed with and a complete metal stringframe is provided.

and securely between the two plates and,with the sounding-board, isinclosed between the plates and protected from injury.

lVhen, the string frame containing the psounding-board and tuning-pinblock is se cured to the key-bed and the whole unitary structuresupported temporarily, the work of action finishing, regulating, andtuning may progress independent of the case, which is not possible inthe present forms of construe` tion, in which itis necessary to securelyfasten the interior mechanism and structure within a finished case andthen perform the work of action finishing, regulation, and tuning.

The case may be secured upon the interior structure by bolts or screwsin any suitable manner.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim as new therein, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. ln a piano a duplevh er doublehstring frame, comprising a back platehaving a main or body portion and an extension therefrom, a front platealso having a main orbody por tion and extension therefrom, a soundingnboard between said plates, means for seeur ing said plates together anda marginal web on one of said plates projecting angularly therefrom tomeet the opposite plate and form a marginal casing to thesounding-board.

2. ln a piane construction, a duplex. frame having a main or bodyportion and an entension therefrom, the body portion projecting oneither side of the extension to form shoulders, a hey-bed secured tosaid shoulders and cut away to admit the extension and support ing-legssecured to the lreybed to support the frameand other parts of the pianofrom the floor independently of the ease.

3. ln a piano construction, a string-frame comprising a front plate anda back. plate, which said plates are connterparts in margin nal outlineand each consisting` of a body porn tion and an extension therefrom,shoulders formed on either side of the plate, a sounding-board andtuning-pin block held. between said plates, which latter are boltedtogether, a key-bed secured to the shoulders and sup porting-legssecured to the key-bed to sup-A port the parts from the floorindependently of the case.

4:. In a piane, a duplex or double-string frame comprising a front plateand a bach plate each having a main or body portion and an extensiontherefrom forming shoulders, means for securing said plates together anda marginal web on one of the plates project" ing anguiarly therefrom tomeet the opposite plate and form a m arginal easing to the sounding-board.

The tuning-pin block is held very firmlyV IOO IIO

IZO

5. In a piano, a, string plate or frame comparts of the piano aresupported from the prising in construction a main or'body porioorindependenty of the case. 1o tion and an extension therefrom, the bodyIn testimony whereof I affix my signature portion projecting on eitherside of the exin presence of two witnesses. Y

5 tension to form shoulders, a key-bed secured JAMES F. CONOVER.

under said shoulders and out away to admit Witnesses:

the extension and supporting-legs secured to CHAS. C. BULKLEY, Jthekey-bed whereby the frame and all the A. MILLER BELFIELD.

